Epassport Including Shielding Method

1. A method of reading a passport, the method comprising: moving a radio frequency shielding away from an RFID tag by opening a cover of the passport, opening of the cover resulting in movement of a first part of the cover away from a second part of the cover, the first part including the RFID tag and the second part including the radio frequency shielding, the radio frequency including metallic fibers configured to shield the RFID tag when the cover is closed and to allow reading of the RFID tag when the cover is open; and reading identifying information from the RFID tag, the RFID tag being powered by power received through an RFID antenna.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating a switch in order to turn on readability of the identifying information from the RFID tag.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the switch is electronic.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the switch is activated using a radio frequency signal.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the switch is activated using a wireless signal.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the readability of the identifying information from the RFID tag is normally off.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the switch is activated in responsive to data received via an antenna of the RFID tag.

8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising retrieving a key from a key memory within the passport, wherein the switch is responsive to a comparison between data received via the antenna and the key data retrieved from the key memory.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic fibers are disposed In a mesh.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic fibers are laminated within the cover.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RFID tag is disposed at least 5 mm from a fold separating the first part of the cover from the second part of the cover.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency shielding comprises multiple shielding layers.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein reading the identifying information from the RFID tag is attempted from at least two different directions.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching the RFID tag from a first ON state to a second ON state, the identifying information being readable from the RFID tag in the second ON state but not in the first ON state.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the RFID tag is detectable in both the first ON state and the second ON state.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first ON state and the second ON state are stored in a state memory of the RFID tag.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying information includes a photograph.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein reading the identifying information from the RFID tag is performed using two or more RFID readers.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying information is encrypted.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching the RFID tag from a first state to a second state, the identifying information being readable from the RFID tag in the second state but not in the first state.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the RFID tag is detectable using a wireless signal in both the first state and the second state.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the RFID tag is detectable using a wireless signal in the second state and is not detectable using the wireless signal in the first state.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving first data through the RF antenna; reading a key from key memory; using an integrated circuit to compare the first data received through the RF antenna with the key read form the key memory, the integrated circuit powered by power received through the RFID antenna; changing a state of the RFID tag from a first state to a second state responsive to the comparison; and providing an RF response, a content of data In the RF response being responsive to the state of the RFID tag.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first state and the second state are alternative ON states.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein reading the identifying information from the RFID tag is performed from at least two different directions.